For many years, writers, designers, directors have tried a huge number of incredible moves, inventing their own plots, stories, styles, and each of them tried and is trying to present to the already sophisticated viewer something new, extraordinary, more exciting. One of the results of the pursuit of originality was the emergence of such a direction in films, manga, anime and dramas as gender intrigue. What it is? Now we will analyze, but first note that gender uncertainty has arisen and has become incredibly popular in Asian countries, in particular, China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
What is gender intrigue?
Its meaning lies in the fact that the gender of the protagonist of the above work (manga, anime, etc.) remains unknown until the end of the storyline (or is it for another character, while the viewer, as they say, is already up to date). Moreover, it can be like a girl trying to convince everyone and everything that she is a man, or a guy posing as a representative of the female half of humanity. There were many reasons for such an act: a cherished dream (following the example of one manga - to become a champion and athlete), revenge, love, the need for money, etc.
Androgyny
The reason (if it is possible to call it that) to the development of such a trend in art as gender intrigue was androgyny - the ability of a person, albeit not in an equal amount, but to show both female and male features. Moreover, there are two varieties of this phenomenon: psychological and physical.
Earlier, androgyny was comparable with the concept of “hermaphrodite,” but later exclusively psychosocial aspects were attributed to this term, removing it from anatomical and physiological signs.
Androgyny, as a fashionable movement on which to earn fame, many celebrities managed to use. Thus, they sought to stand out from the general stream, to show a rebellious character, to become famous with if not vocal talents, then at least thanks to an extravagant number. However, in fairness it should be noted that some people have similar features, as they say, from nature. And they don’t give themselves, so to speak, an artificial androgynous look, using various cosmetics or wardrobe items.
Manga in the subject
The origins of most dramas and animes are primarily manga - a kind of Japanese comic book that has gained immense popularity among Asian peoples, especially Japanese and Koreans, and among many people around the world, including people of completely different nationalities and ages.
The manga, whose gender intrigue served as the basis of the storyline, has gained popularity in Japan, especially for young girls and girls. Then it began to spread to neighboring states, gaining an increasing number of fans. This fact triggered the development of this topic and the release of a huge number of manga with a similar plot.
The first project, the plot of which was based on gender intrigue, was the Japanese shoji-manga "For you in all colors, or the Incomprehensible Paradise." The girl enters men's school, posing as a boy, in order to support and return to the sport the injured jumper whom she admires.
At the moment, there are more than a hundred manga, issued or still produced, with a similar theme: Sekire, Sweet Blood, The rumored Midori-kun, Bremen, etc.
Confusion in the anime
The anime spread even faster than manga, as many enterprising people realized that it was possible, using a ready-made plot, to create a very profitable business, playing on the feelings and desires of fans not to read their favorite story, but to watch it on TV. Realizing that you can film a manga, and even earn on it both success and material means, many animators rushed to release a number of anime. Gender intrigue, accordingly, began to be regarded as yet another topic, interesting to readers, and, therefore, future viewers. The most popular projects of this category are: Hourou Musuko, Paradise Kiss, Kuragehime, Shugo Chara and others. There is still a great many animated works that can be safely attributed to the “Gender Intrigue” section, while more often than not this category comes as a comedy.
Drama there
Honestly, the drama is an ordinary “soap opera” broadcast by television channels in the evenings, only Japanese. Well, except that they have a slightly higher rating. No sooner had the dramas entered the Japanese anime industry, gender intrigue immediately penetrated into this category of cinema, tightly clinging and gaining a foothold as another fashion trend. The mentioned genre owes its name to the English word drama, however, in parallel with the dramatic ones, there are also romantic, comedy, detective films, and even dramatic horror films.
For the first time, gender intrigue was used as the main plot line for the drama in the Korean television series The First Cafe Prince. Famous works of this type include the following: “Angel. You are beautiful ”,“ K-pop: school of survival ”,“ Our secret ”, as well as the aforementioned drama“ For you in all colors ”.
Films
Despite the popularity among the audience, gender intrigue as a subgenre did not take root in the cinema. Most likely, the whole problem lies in the money: for the release of a full-fledged film, it is necessary to involve a large number of people, purchase sets, sew costumes, not to mention special effects. In addition, interest in works with elements of gender intrigue has arisen and still remains relevant primarily in Asian countries, which choose the above-described dramas and animes as the most preferred types of adaptation.
However, not so far from the topic of gender uncertainty are such famous American films as “Mrs. Doutfire” and the series of films “The House of the Big Mommy”, the plot of which is based on dressing up a man in a woman. Moreover, in both cases, the genre is defined as a comedy in view of the huge number of comic scenes in which the protagonist falls, trying to maintain his real essence incognito.